Constitution, By-Laws and 
Rules of Order 



OF THE 



NATIONAL 

ASSOCIATION OF ARMY 

NURSES 



OF 



THE CIVIL WAR, 1861-1865 



Tarn RBPTTBI^tCAN PRIKT 
BROOKVIIiLK, PA. 




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PIIEFACE OR PREAMBLE. 



The National Association of Nurses 
of the Civil War was formed at 
Washington, D. C, in September, 
1892, by Mrs. Addie L. Ballon, of 
San Francisco, Cal., who was elected 
National President of the Associa- 
tion, and the time and place of meet- 
ing was fixed as that of the National 
Encampment of the Grand Army of 
the Republic, each year. 

Mrs. Ballou, on account of the two 
following encampments being held at 
too great a distance from her home, 
was unable to be present and no 
meeting of the Association was held 
until September 13, 1895, when Mrs. 
Emily E. Woodley, of Philadelphia, 
called the nurses together who were 
present at the G. A. R. Encampment 
at Louisville, Kentucky, and reorgan- 
ized the Association. Mrs. Woodley 
was elected National President, and 
was authorized to take out a charter 
and register the same. This Associa- 



tion was to be known as The Veteran 
Nurses of the Civil War, being reor- 
ganized September 13, 1895, at 
Louisville, Kentucky, 

The Association adopted a consti- 
tution and By-Laws which were sub- 
scribed to by Mrs. Emily E. Woodley, 
Philadelphia; Mrs. Sarah K. Clark, 
Winona, Minn.; Mrs. Elizabeth Chap- 
man, East St. Louis, 111.; Mrs. Mar- 
garet Mackey, Milwaukee, Wis.; Mrs. 
Katharine Lawrence, Albany, N. Y. ; 
Mrs. Elizabeth Ewing, Phoenixville, 
Pa.; Mrs. Eleanor Ransom, Los An- 
geles, Cal. ; Mrs. Harriet P. Abend, 
Zumbrota, Minn. 

These ladies are all deceased ex- 
cept Mrs. Chapman and Mrs. Ran- 
som. 

At the National Convention held at 
Saratoga Springs, N. Y., in 19 07, it 
was decided by vote of the Associa- 
tion that the Constitution and By- 
Laws adopted at Louisville in 1895, 
should be revised and amended, but 
nothing was done in the matter until 
the Convention met in 1908 at To- 



ledo, Ohio, when a committee was ap- 
pointed by the convention to carry 
out the resolution of the Association. 
Miss Kate M. Scott, Brookville, Pa., 
Miss Cornelia Hancock, Philadelphia, 
Pa., and Mrs. Emily Alder, Clarion, 
lawa, toeing named as said committee, 
have gone over the original docu- 
ment carefully, eliminating all unnec- 
essary and superfluous Articles and 
Sections thereof, and adding such 
new ones, as, in their judgment, the 
work and needs of the Association 
demand. 



CONSTITUTION. 



ARTICLE I. 
Name. 

This organization shall be known 
as the National Association of Army 
Nurses of the Civil War. 

ARTICLE II. 
Object. 

The primary object of the Associa- 
tion is to band ourselves together so- 



cialiy and fraternally, to aid our fel- 
low nurses in obtaining pensions and 
do all in our power for their welfare. 
It shall not be auxiliary to any other 
order or organization — owing allegi- 
ance only to the Grand Army of the 
the Republic. 



ARTICLE III. 

Eligibility. 

Section 1. Only those nurses shall 
be admitted to membership who can 
give proof of their identity, and of 
service of not less than three months, 
as a regularly enlisted or volunteer 
nurse during the Civil War. 

Section 2. All applications for 
membership must be endorsed by the 
Commander and Adjutant of the ap- 
plicant's nearest Post of the Grand 
Army. 

Section 3. The Association shall 
meet each year at the same time and 
place as that of the Grand Army of 
the Republic National Encampment. 



7 

ARTICLE IV. 

5fembership Fees and Dues. 

Section 1. The fee to be paid for 
admission to membership shall be one 
dollar and seventy-five cents, includ- 
ing badge and certificate of member- 
ship, and one dollar annual dues, to 
be paid in advance. 

Section 2. A member who is in 
arrears for more than one year shall 
not be privileged to vote upon any 
question before the Association, or 
for election of officers until such dues 
are paid. 

ARTICLE V. 

Election of Officers. 

Section 1. The National Officers 
of the Association shall consist of 
President, Senior Vice President, 
Junior Vice President, Treasurer, 
Chaplain, Conductor and Guard. 

Section 2. No member shall be 
nominated for presiding officer un- 



s 

less present at the time, and all offi- 
cers shall be elected by ballot. 

Section 3. The National President 
shall appoint the Secretary, Coun- 
selor, Surgeon and Department Presi- 
dents. 

ARTICLE VI. 

Committees. 

Section 1. The President shall ap- 
point an Auditing Committee, whose 
duty it shall be to audit the accounts 
of the Secretary and Treasurer, and 
report as the President may direct. 

Section 2. The Executive Com- 
mittee shall consist of the officers of 
the Association and its past Presi- 
dents, 

Section 3. The first named mem- 
ber of any Committee is always its 
Chairman. 



BY-LAWS. 



ARTICLE I. 

Section 1. The National President 
shall preside at the National Conven- 



9 

tions and announce the decisions of 
the Association on all matters 
brought before it. She shall decide 
all questions of order without debate, 
subject to an appeal from the ruling 
of the chair. She shall appoint all 
Committees not otherwise provided 
for, issue General Orders, and con- 
fer with the National Officers of the 
Grand Army of the Republic upon 
all matters between the two organi- 
zations. 

Senior Vice President. 

Section 2. In the absence of the 
President she shall fill the chair, and 
perform the duties of the President. 

Junior Vice President. 

Section 3. In the absence of the 
Senior Vice President she shall fill 
her place, and if both be absent she 
shall fill the chair of the President. 

Secretary. 

Section 4. The Secretary shall 
keep a properly prepared journal in 
which shall be recorded all business 
brought before the Convention, draw 



10 

all orders upon the Treasurer for 
money paid out. She shall forward 
all General Orders, keep a roster of 
the Association, with date of mem- 
hership, death or discharge, and as- 
sist the President as she may direct. 

Treasurer. 

Section 5. The Treasurer shall 
collect and hold the funds of the As- 
sociation, giving bond to such amount 
as the Association shall determine. 
Pay all orders drawn by the Secretary 
and attested by the President, and 
keep a strict account of all moneys 
received and disbursed. All dues 
must be paid to the Treasurer. 

Chaplain. 

Section 6. The Chaplain shall as- 
sist In all the devotional exercises of 
the Association, prepare a memorial 
report of all deceased members, and 
assist at the installation of officers. 

Conductor. 

Section 7. The Conductor shall 
see that all present at the sessions 
of the Convention have the National 



11 

badge, which each member is re- 
quired to wear unless excused by the 
Association. She shall introduce all 
visitors to the presiding officer and 
assist as the President may direct. 

Guard. 

Section 8. The Guard shall at- 
tend the door, admit none without 
the pass word (which is to be given 
by the President) and announce all 
visitors to the presiding officer. 

Department Presidents. 

Section 9. The duty of the De- 
partment Presidents shall be to seek 
out the nurses in her Department, as- 
sist them in procuring pensions, and 
acquaint those not members of the 
National Association of the work it 
is doing for all nurses of the Civil 
War. 

ARTICLE II. 

Section 1. All communications, 
petitions and memorials, should be 
sent to the Secretary, and after being 



12 

read can be discussed and disposed 
of as the Convention may decide. 

Section 2. Only women of good 
moral character will be admitted to 
the Association, and if a member is 
convicted of dishonorable conduct she 
will be dropped from its rolls. 

Rules of Order. 

1. The National President shall 
call the Convention to order, the offi- 
cers and members taking their re- 
spective stations, when the Chaplain 
will lead in devotional exercises. 

2. The presiding officer will then 
state that the meeting is ready for 
such business as may properly come 
before it. 

3. Members when speaking, will 
address the President, confine them- 
selves to the question under discus- 
sion, avoiding all personalities. No 
member can speak twice upon a 
question unless by vote of Conven- 
tion. 

4. If two or more members rise 
to speak at the same time the Chair 



13 



shall decide which is entitled to the 
floor. 

5. A motion to lay on the table 
is always in order. 

6. A motion to adjourn is always 
in order after the general business 
is finished, which motion shall be de- 
cided without debate. 

7. No member shall be inter- 
rupted when speaking except by a 
call to order. 

8. All members for whom enter- 
tainment is provided at the National 
Encampment are expected to attend 
the meetings of the Convention. 

KATE M. SCOTT, 
CORNELIA HANCOCK, 
EMILY ALDER, 

Committee on Revision. 

Approved — 

REBECCA S. SMITH, 

National President. 
CLARISSA F. DYE, 

National Counselor. 



